This comes in the wake of reports that RPP (D) is picking then Minister for Supplies Deepak Bohora, who is alleged to have masterminded the controversial land procurement deal of the state-owned NOC.
KATHMANDU, Sept 3: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has urged Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Democratic) not to recommend names of tainted and controversial characters for ministers in his cabinet.
Prime Minister Deuba had urged RPP (Democratic) Chairman Pashupati SJB Rana to recommend clean faces in his cabinet during the meeting held with him on Saturday. Rana had held meeting with the prime minister to discuss about the inclusion of ministers from his newly-formed cabinet.
Prime Minister Deuba is scheduled to induct three cabinet ministers and two state ministers from the RPP (D) in his cabinet, most likely on Monday.
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"In view of the election and close scrutiny of media, it would be good if you could send names of those who are not tainted or have courted controversy," a highly-placed party source quoted the prime minister as saying.
Although Prime Minister Deuba urged Chairman Rana to send clean faces, he was not against any specific names during the meeting, according to sources.
"I will appoint anyone you recommend as minister. But it would be good if you could send clean and untainted faces," the source quoted the prime minister as saying further.
This comes in the wake of reports that RPP (D) is also recommending then Minister for Supplies Deepak Bohora, who is alleged to have masterminded the controversial land procurement deal of the state-owned Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), as one of the ministerial candidates. NOC has been found to be indulged in financial irregularities worth over Rs 700 million while procuring plots of land in various locations including in Rupandehi, Chitwan, Sarlahi and Jhapa districts to build storage facilities.
According to senior RPP (D) leaders, Chairman Rana is preparing to recommend the names of Sunil Bahadur Thapa and Bikram Pandey as cabinet ministers and Resham Lama as state minister. Rana, however, is still undecided whether to recommend the name of Bohora as minister.
"Although the names of two cabinet ministers and a state minister are already finalized, the party leadership is yet to decide on the name of a cabinet minister and a state minister," said an RPP (D) leader.
